Study Desk

People brought their small children to Jesus so that he could lay his hands on them to bless them. But the followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him.

Jesus saw what happened. He did not like his followers telling the children not to come. So he said to them, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them, because God's kingdom belongs to people who are like these little children.

Then Jesus held the children in his arms. He laid his hands on them and blessed them.

The followers were amazed at what Jesus said. But he said again, "My children, it is very hard to enter God's kingdom!

Jesus said, "I can promise that everyone who has left their home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or farm for me and for the Good News about me

will get a hundred times more than they left. Here in this world they will get more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and farms. And with these things they will have persecutions. But in the world that is coming they will also get the reward of eternal life.

"Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother.

There were seven brothers. The first brother married but died. He had no children.

So the second brother married the woman. But he also died and had no children. The same thing happened with the third brother.

All seven brothers married the woman and died. None of the brothers had any children with her. And she was the last to die.

"Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and have them killed.

But they had no children. Elizabeth could not have a baby, and both of them were very old.

John himself will go ahead of the Lord and make people ready for his coming. He will be powerful like Elijah and will have the same spirit. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will cause people who are not obeying God to change and start thinking the way they should."

He has done what he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever."

Change your hearts! And show by your lives that you have changed. I know what you are about to say—‘but Abraham is our father!' That means nothing. I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks!

"I'm telling you to love your enemies and do good to them. Lend to people without expecting to get anything back. If you do this, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High God. Yes, because God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful.

They are like children sitting in the marketplace. One group of children calls to the other children and says, ‘We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.'

Then the Holy Spirit made Jesus feel very happy. Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children. Yes, Father, you did this because it's what you really wanted to do.

Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Go away! Don't bother me! The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you the bread now.'

Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him."